Deaf Pit Bull

by Ashley
(Ohio)

Can anything be done for a deaf pit bull? My blue pit is deaf. We started noticing he doesn't respond or doesn't wake up when we come in the house. What can I do for him? Is there a hearing aid or something?

Gale's Reply:

Hi Ashley:

While a few investigators have experimented with hearing aids for dogs, they are not widely used. This is because hearing aids can only amplify sound. If your dog is totally deaf, there's no sound to amplify so it won't help your dog.

The other reason, as you might imagine, is that for dogs with partial hearing loss many don't tolerate having a device in or around their ears. It's a case of the 'cure' being worse than the problem.

The good news is that with proper care and some accommodations on your part, you and your dog can live a happy life together even if he is totally deaf.

First, you should get your suspicions confirmed by a vet and make sure that there's nothing that's treatable, like a blockage of some kind, that is interfering with his ability to hear.

The biggest concern for owners of deaf dogs is safety. Since your dog can't hear vehicles or other noises that might warn him of danger, you'll need to arrange your environment and routines with him to compensate for his handicap.

You'll also need to be sensitive to the possibility that your dog may have a pronounced startle response if someone tries to pet him or touch him without first getting his attention.

You can find lots of great training tips and resources at the Deaf Dog Education Action Fund website.

You'll probably also want to pick up a couple of good books on the subject: Living with a Deaf Dog - A Book of Advice, Facts and Experiences About Canine Deafness and Hear Hear! - A Guide to Training a Deaf Dog come highly recommended. If your pit is still a puppy, the author of "Hear, Hear!" has also written a training guide for deaf puppies.

Good luck. Please feel to write back and let us know how things are going.